Friendswood Council to Consider Expanded Commercial Uses at 402 E. Edgewood Drive

FRIENDSWOOD, Texas — A small commercial property on East Edgewood Drive could soon be allowed to accommodate a wider variety of businesses under a zoning amendment scheduled for consideration by Friendswood City Council next week.

The City has scheduled a public hearing for Monday, October 5, regarding the property at 402 E. Edgewood Drive. The request would amend the site’s existing Planned Unit Development/Specific Use Permit, known as PUD/SUP 2019-30, to allow additional retail, administrative and personal-care uses.

Friendswood’s Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously recommended approval of the change during its September 10 meeting. The final decision now moves to City Council.

What could be allowed?

City planning staff told the Planning and Zoning Commission that the proposed amendment would bring the property closer to the range of uses normally permitted in Friendswood’s Neighborhood Commercial zoning district.

The amendment is intended to broaden the pool of potential tenants without requiring the property owner to return through the full zoning-amendment process every time a new business falls outside the property’s historically narrow list of approved uses.

Why the property requires repeated zoning amendments

The East Edgewood property has an unusual zoning history.

City planning staff explained during the September 10 meeting that the property was originally developed under a Planned Unit Development with a Specific Use Permit, a framework Friendswood commonly used for certain commercial properties in earlier decades.

Because the allowed business categories were specifically written into the permit, new tenants have sometimes required additional amendments before they could occupy the site.

The current proposal is intended to modernize those permitted-use categories and update the corresponding North American Industry Classification System, or NAICS, codes.

Existing businesses are already operating at the property

The property contains existing commercial buildings rather than representing a new ground-up development.

Businesses currently associated with the address include professional and service-oriented operations, including Joy Speech and Dyslexia, which lists its office at 402 E. Edgewood Drive.

The proposed zoning amendment is therefore primarily about what types of tenants can occupy the existing commercial property, rather than approving a new large-scale construction project.

Planning and Zoning recommended approval

Planning commissioners considered the zoning change during their September 10 meeting.

After the public hearing and staff presentation, Commissioner Marcus Rives moved to recommend approval to City Council, with Commissioner Tram Kim seconding the motion.

The recommendation passed unanimously.

City Council will now hold its own public hearing before deciding whether to approve the amendment.

Why a small zoning case can matter

The property itself is only about 0.38 acres, but the case illustrates a broader issue facing older commercial properties in Friendswood.

Zoning approvals written years ago may not always line up neatly with today’s businesses or modern industry classifications. That can create additional regulatory steps when property owners try to lease space to uses that were not contemplated when the original zoning approval was written.

The October 5 hearing gives Council an opportunity to determine whether broadening the approved uses at 402 E. Edgewood is consistent with the surrounding area and the city’s current development rules.

Residents can comment Monday

The public hearing is scheduled as part of the regular Friendswood City Council meeting beginning at 5:30 p.m. Monday, October 5.

The meeting will be held in the Council Chambers at Friendswood City Hall, 910 S. Friendswood Drive.